Ditching-machine.



E. T. HEGGLAND.

DITCHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION mso 050.29. 1914.

Patented Sept. 21,1915. 7

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Attorr z eys E. T. HEGGLAND. DITCHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION HYLED DEC. 29.""T'I41 1,153,91, PatentedSept.21, 1915;

3 SHEETSSHE-ET 3.

v 1 Attorneys 'onrrnn snares PATENT @FFTGE.

EVEND '1. HEGGLAND, OF MINA, NEVADA.

manometer-MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EimNn T. HEGGLANn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mina, in the county of Mineraland State of Nevada, have invented a new and useful Ditching-Machine, of which the following" is a specification.

The present invention appertains to ditching machines, and aims to provide a novel and improved machine especially adapted for cutting or plowing irrigating trenches or ditches. I

It is the object of the present invention to provide a machine of the nature indicated, adapted to be drawn over the soil, and having a depending vertically adjustable plow share and packer trailing or following the same, means being provided for adjusting the plow share and packer vertically to regulate the depth of the furrow ortrench formed bythe share and packer.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a ditching machine, which may be readily drawn from place to place, and whereby the ditch-forming element or elements may be readily brought into or out of engagement with the soil, as desired by ,I

the operator.

A further object of. the invention is to provide a machine of the character specified, embodying a pair of ditch-forming devices, in combination with means for simultaneously adjusting the said devices vertically, and means whereby the said devices may be adjusted transversely relative to one an-' other, to vary the width between the trenches or ditches, within practical limits.

' It is also within the scope of the present invention, to provide an appliance for forming trenches or ditches, which will be improved generally in its construction to enhance the utility of the appliance, and to promote the efliciency of the several devices embodiedin the machine. 7

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it belng understood ;that

Speeificationof Letters I Patent.

Patented Sept. 211., i915.

Application filed December 29, 1914. I Serial No. 879,509.

- changes in the'precise-embodiment of the invention herein'disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed withc leparting from the spirit of the invention.

The'invention has been illustrated in its preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, wherein Eigur e 1 is a plan view of the ditching machine, portions being broken away. Fig.- 2 is a longitudinal section taken on the line "2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse or cross section taken on the line 3 -3 of Fig.

1. Fig. 4 is a sectional detail-of one of the plow shares and the forward end portion of the corresponding packer. Fig. 5 is a re duced rear end view of a modified form of the invention.

In carrying out the present invention, there is provided a laterally extensible and contractible body, constituting fiat side sections 1 and 2, which have their-adjacent portions overlapped, the body section 2 having guides or slide ways 3 at its front and rear.

non-circular 1n cross section, ,so as to be constrained against rotary or oscillatory movements relative to each other. The remote ends of the axle sections 4 and 5 are provided with the angular-- portions or arms 6, to which the ground wheels 7 are journaled. The arch axle extends over-the body intermediate the ends thereof, and the sections 4 and.5 of the'axle arejournaled through bearings 8 secured upon the body sections 1 and 2 adjacent the side edges ofthe body, the telescoping portions of "the axle sections being disposed between the bearings 8. The outer or tubular telescoping portion is provided with a set screw or clamping bolt 9 for holding the axle sections at any extended or adjusted position t0 Which they are set.

' body section 1.

As a means for oscillating and holding the arched axle, a lever 10 is secured to the axle section 5 outside of the respective bearing 8, and is provided with handcontrolled means for engaging a segment 11 mounted upon the body section 2 adjacent the outer side of the bearing 8'secured upon the said body section. Similarly, a lever 10 is secured to the axle section 4: outside of the bearing '8 which is secured upon the body section 1, and. which lever 10 is adapted to be locked to a suitable segment 11 mounted upon the body section 1, adjacent the outer.

side of the last mentioned bearing 8. Thus, when the lever 10 is released from the segment 11, thelever 10 may be swung by disengaging it from the segment 11, and the archedaxle may then be swung or oscillated, as desired, to either raise or lower the ground wheels 7 relative to the body. After the ground wheels have been set properly, the lever 10 may be engaged to the segment 11 to hold the axle, especially the section 5 thereof, against movement, and the lever 10 may then be locked to the segment 11. In this connection, it is to be noted that the body sections 1 and 2 may be adjusted laterally relative to one another, without interferring with the adjustment of the arched axle, it being noted that the arch axle is extensible and contractible so that the sections 4 and 5 of the axle which are journaled upon the respective' body sections 1 and 2, may be adjusted laterally with. the body sections.

As a means for conveniently extending and retracting the body sections 1 and 2, a pair of links 12 have their remote ends pivoted to the body sections next inside the bearings 8, and have their adjacent ends connect ed to a hand lever 13 disposed snugly over the hen the lever 13 is swung in one direction, the same will tend to separate the links 12, to thereby separate the body sections, and when the lever is swung to the other direction, it will pull or draw the body sections together, whereby the body may be readily extended and contracted laterally.

An operators seat is mounted for lateral adjustments upon the body, and to this end transverse slotted guide 14 is secured upon the body section 1 directly in advance of the 211C711 axle. and the lower end of the seat standard 15 is engaged under the guide 141 and carries the operators seat 16 at its upper end. The lower end of the seat standard 15 is slidable transversely within the guide 1 1-, and is provided with a clamping bolt 17 engaging upwardly through the slot of the guide 1 1, to clamp the seat standard at any laterally adjusted position. Thus. as the body sections are adjusted relative to each other, the seat may be adjusted,

bers or wings 19. The nose of the plow share 18 is inclined, and the upper end portion of the share is slidable or movable vertically through an opening 20 provided in the corresponding body section. The openings 20 are arranged at the forward end of the body and adjacent the side edges thereof, the plow shares thereby being arranged at the front end of the body and adjacent the side edges of the body.

A packer 21 is employed in connection with each of the plow shares 18, and is relatively long and flat-sided, the forward end of each packer 21 projecting between the 'sides or Wings 19 of the corresponding plow share, and having the ph'iw share secured thereto. Thus, the plow shares and packers are .secured together, to move vertically with each other, the plow shares being carried by the forward ends of the packers. The packers 21 are disposed underneath the respective body sections, and are of a width approximately equal to the width of the furrow or ditch to be formed. The packers 21 are also of considerable height, the upper end portions of the plow shares, however, projecting above the upperedges of the packers, and working through the openings 20 of-the body sections, as above indicated.

As a means for guiding the packers 21 for vertical movements, and for closing the gaps bewteen the packers and the body sections, a pair of inverted channel members 22 have their backs secured to the bottoms of the body sections 1 and 2 above the packers 21, and are providedwith depending flanges or aprons 23 overlapping the sides of the respective packers 21. Thus, the packers 21 are slidably received by the channel members'or guides 22, and furthermore, the channel members or guides 22 will close the gaps between the packers 21 and the body sections, when the packers are de pressed, as seen in Fig. 4.

As a means for adjusting or raising and lowering the packers, and the plow shares carried by the front ends thereof, the body sections and backs of the channels or guides 22 are provided with front and rear openings or slots 24 through which links 25 are passed. A pair of links 25 are provided for each packer, the lower ends of the links being pivoted to' the upper edge portions of the packers, and the respective links of each pair being pivoted to the correspondthe soil. Now, when the machine is to be brought into operation for forming the ditches, the body 12 may be depressed, or permitted to gravitate, by swinging the arch .aXle in such a direction as to swing the ground wheels '7 upwardly relative to the body, which will enable the plow shares and --packers to come into contact or cooperative or following the shares, will pack the soil at the sides of the furrow or trench to render the walls of the furrow compact, and to thereby prevent the soil or ground fromfalling back into the furrow.

The packers and plow shares may be adjusted vertically, to regulate the depth of the furrows or trenches formed, this being readily accomplished by manipulating-the hand lever 33 to swing the bell crank levers 26 and 27 correspondingly to either raise or lower the packers, as will be obvious. Thus, when the hand lever 33 is swung forwardly, the links 25 will be dropped or depressed, to thereby drop or depress the packers 21 and the plow shares 18 carried by the forward ends thereof, to increase the depth of the furrows or trenches, and when the hand lever 33 is swung rearwardly, the

packers 2land plow shares will be raised to decrease the depth of the furrows The distance between the two trench or ditch-forming-devices, may be varied, ac-

' cording to the circumstances, this being readily accomplished by drawing the body sections apart or together, more or less, to properly position the packers and plow shares. The arch axle 4-5 and the rock shafts 2930 and iii-32, being extensible, may adjust themselves to the positions of the body sections relative to each other, and the operators seat may also be adjusted transversely so as to assume a median position. In a similar manner, the coupling member 34: maybe adjusted transversely to assume a median position, and the arms38 may. be roperly adjusted to position the bracket 3 directly'in advance of the bracket 35 to hold the tongue 36 at a proper longitudinal position. The pole 39 may also be adjusted in order to space the marking or guiding disk 41 at a distance from the adjacent share and packer equal to the distance between the two shares and packers.

The swinging or oscillatory arm 40 permits the disk 41 to trail loosely upon the soil, or in the previously formed furrow or ditch," to assist in properly guiding the machine, as will be obvious. The pole 39 may 1,1eae1e the body may again be lowered to bring the ditch-forming elements into operative position.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the drawings, the several advantages and capabilities of the present invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art, without further comment being necessary.

It is to be observed, that in the present structure, as illustrated and described, the ditchforming devices are duplicated, and are operatively connected in a peculiar manner, but it is to be understood that the ditching machine may be provided with only a single ditch-forming device, if desired, and in which event the various provisions for transverse adjustments will be eliminated. Thus, as suggested in Fig. 5, the body 1' need only be in one piece, as well as the arch axle l, when a single ditch-forming device 21' is carried by the body 1.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new 1s:

1. In a ditching machine, a body, longitudinal depending guide carried thereby,

a packer movable vertically within the guide, and a plow share carried by the forward end of the packer.

' 2. In a ditching machine, a body,a guide comprising depending aprons carried there by, a. vertically adjustable packer mounted between the said aprons, and a plow share carried by the forward end of the packer, the upper end portion of the plow share projecting above the packer, and the body having an opening through which the upper end portion ofthe share passes.

3. In a ditching machine, a body, a guide comprising an inverted channel member having its back secured to thebottom of the body, a packer mounted for vertical movements within the said channel, adjusting means carried by the body and connected to the packer, and a plow share having its upper end portion slidable through the body and including rearwardly projecting side wings secured over the forward end portion of the packer. M

4. In a ditching machine, a body comprising laterally adjustable sections, an extensi ble arch axle constituting telescoping seo- 'tions journaled to the respective sections of the body, ground wheels journaled to the remote ends of the axle sections, cooperating means carried by one body section and one axle section for oscillating the axie, a ditch- "ferming device carried by each body sect-i011, means carried. by each bedy section and 0peratively connected to the cerrespending ditch-forming device to raise and lower she same, and ashaft comprising telescoping sections connecting said. means.

in testimony that; 1 claim the foregoing as my mm, 1 have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

EVE-ND HEGGLAND. Witnesses:

S. M. SUMMERFIELD, B. B. SHEPHERD. 

